Box Office: ‘Think Like a Man Too’ Parties to $30 Mil Debut

“Think Like a Man Too,” raised the roof at multiplexes this weekend, carousing its way to $30 million domestically, according to studio estimates.

The Sony Pictures and Screen Gems sequel premiered on 2,225 screens and cost a modest $24 million to produce. It was able to capitalize on star Kevin Hart’s rising profile as it held off challenges from “22 Jump Street” and “How to Train Your Dragon 2.”

“It’s not bad being number one,” said Rory Bruer, Sony Pictures president of worldwide distribution. “The girls versus the guys element and getting the perspective of both sexes is something that’s always appealing to folks.”

However, it could not match the $33.6 million debut of the first film in the series in what was altogether a ho-hum weekend at the U.S. box office.

Overall, the box office hit roughly $151 million, down 37.4% from the same period a year ago, when “World War Z” and “Monsters University” vied for moviegoers’ attention.

“It’s pretty lackluster overall, but especially looking at the same weekend last year,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “These were not good comparisons.”

The weekend’s other new release, “Jersey Boys,” Clint Eastwood’s adaptation of the venerable Broadway musical about the Four Seasons, hit a false note, debuting to a meager $13.5 million. The Warner Bros. release cost an economical $40 million to produce and premiered on 2,905 screens.

The studio believes the film will be able to bolster its modest initial grosses over the coming weeks by offering older crowds an alternative to Transformers and superheroes.

“It’s the music and soul of an older audience and they do go to the movies, it just takes them a while, but they will get there,” said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros.

“It’s going to be a marathon,” he added, noting the film had an A- CinemaScore rating and played particularly well to audiences 25 years and older. “It’s going to have legs and play nicely.”

In their second weeks of release, DreamWorks Animation’s “Dragon 2″ and Sony Pictures’ “22 Jump Street” earned $25.3 million and $29 million, respectively. The animated film has now earned $95 million domestically, while the undercover cop comedy passed $111 million Stateside.

Overseas, “22 Jump Street” added an estimated $14.1 million this weekend from 30 territories, bringing its foreign total to $38.2 million.

“This is shaping up to be one of the biggest R-rated comedies of all time,” said Bruer.

“Dragon 2″ also performed well globally, taking in $43.5m from 10,016 screens in 53 markets and pushing its international total to $77.2 million.

Many of the weekend’s top releases were unable to hit their tracking numbers. Going into the weekend, analysts were expecting bigger figures from the top four films, predicting at least three pictures would hit or exceed $30 million — a projection that did not come to pass.

In terms of holdovers, “Maleficent,” Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” overhaul, captured fifth place with an estimated $13 million, bringing its domestic total to $186 million.

“The Fault in Our Stars,” enhanced its capacious profit margins, adding $8.6 million to its take over the weekend. The $12 million production has now earned $98.7 million Stateside after three weeks in multiplexes.

The first “Think Like a Man” closed out its run with $91.5 million domestically. The follow-up film, brings back director Tim Story, as well as cast members such as Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Regina Hall and Jerry Ferrara, sending them to Las Vegas for a wedding ceremony that involve bachelor and bachelorette parties that take full advantage of all that Sin City has to offer.

Reviews have not been kind — “Think Like a Man Too” currently holds a 22% “rotten” ranking on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics may have been immune to its charms, but the film played well with younger females, posting a demographic breakdown that was 37% male and 63% female, with 41% of the audience under the age of 30.

In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics debuted Paul Haggis’ “Third Person,” a sprawling look at three different relationships in as many cities, to $42,046 on five screens, while Sundance Selects premiered Roman Polanski’s S&M tinged “Venus in Fur” to $26, 200 in two theaters. Open Road’s “Chef” continued to chug along in its seventh week of release, adding $1.8 million to its haul and bringing its domestic total to $16.9 million.

Next weekend brings the debut of “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” After such a drab weekend at the box office, Hollywood undoubtedly hopes the robot sequel will be the proverbial tide that lifts all boats.

“There’s excitement,” said Jeff Bock, a box office analyst with Exhibitor Relations. “[‘Transformers’] is putting every teenager around the planet into a fanboy frenzy.”

Jersey Boys is a great film. My wife and I were extremely and pleasantly surprised. I’ve never been into musicals…ever…my favorite up to this point was “The Sound of Music,” which inspired me to get into the film industry in the first place, yet, we found ourselves seat dancing and bopping in our seats. We really enjoyed the interpersonal approach of having the characters each expressing their takes and their understanding of each situation, which brought a lot of comedic character moments to the storyline and subplots.

But the the thing that impressed us the most, was the decision to make the film NOT feel like a musical. No-one busted out in song at the wrong time…and the singing moments felt completely unforced. It was like watching a living biographical film. Great Directing job by Clint Eastwood.

Lastly, we didn’t realize how many great hits Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons had. We thoroughly loved this movie….and can’t wait to buy the soundtrack.

The theater was pack…and it was the biggest theater in the Tampa Bay area.

The Broadway play and touring show versions of JB have been extremely successful for years and years, for exactly the reasons you named above. It is not really the typical “musical”, and that’s why it’s so successful. I highly suggest you go see the play if it comes to your town or if you go to NYC. I enjoyed the movie too but I do think the music sounds much better when played live. It is the best play I have ever seen, period, and I’m not the only one to say that.

Movies like TLAM only break out when they get a good spot on the calendar with 3-4 weeks of WEAK competition for that general audience outside the niche.. Then it may attract a wider audience just on being the only game in town. See the original TLAM and Ride Along. Hart’s next movie, Wedding Ringer, has a spot on a desolate stretch in January where it doesn’t have to compete for general audience dollars with other big films. That movie may do better.

But in a scenario like this, where TLAM2 has to compete with a red hot 22 Jump Street, it wont get the crossover audience that the first one got. Tammy and Transformers means it has zero shot of breaking out with general audience.

So, by “Movies like TLAM”, do you mean “Romantic Comedies”? If that is what you mean then how is that true because “Romantic Comedies” are releases all throughout the year. Some are hits, some are not. A well marketed, highly anticipated film will always debut high, regardless of whether it’s a “Romantic Comedy” or not, and if it’s good then ever better. Oh and by “Niche” I’m also assuming that you mean the “Romantic Comedy” niche. Because who doesn’t like a good Romantic Comedy, right?

Now, if your 22 Jump Street analogy is correct then isn’t that a shame and a negative reflection on that “Crossover” audience that you reference for being so narrow minded, of “Romantic Comedies”? Why would that crossover audience not want to see both films, prey tell….Very curious. And why wouldn’t this “general audience” you mention, that’s going to see Tammy next week not be interest TLAM2, Tammy, and 22JS? They’re all comedies….same “Niche”. Very curious indeed.

oh, side note, TLAM2 opened on 1000+ fewer screens then 22 Jump Street and any other wide release over the past few months. now, had it been apples to apples TLAM would have made significantly more the it did. But unfortunately there are still some distributor and outlets that feel a need to limit exposure of movies like TLAM2 (you know, Romantic Comedies) to those crossover, general audiences.

It’s funny, “Movies like Jersey Boys” could have used some crossover, general audience appeal, with it’s 700 more screen then TLAM2. Don’t you think?

WOW, a Tony Award winning play (w/Grammy award winning album), about a legendary, Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame group, adapted for the big screen by an Academy Award winning Director? Not considered serious competition? Amazing how one can totally dismiss two films in one post…..unbelievable….LOL

Anyone with half a brain knew that TLAM2’s competition this week was the second weekend of 22 Jump Street. While you’re at it, considering Jersey Boys serious competition, why dont you just throw “Chef” in there too :)? Lets REALLY challenge TLAM2 :D!!

Don’t be sad for 30 million considering that the movie opened on 700 fewer screens then Jersey Boys, 1000+ fewer then Maleficent & 22 Jump Street and 2000 fewer then Dragon. The TLAM2 per screen totals dramatically outperformed all the other top 5 films.